Graceful Wasting
by Sabubu
Summary: When she wakes up with a strange tattoo on her chest, things spiral down all around Gracie Evans. Demons, shadow figures, ex-professors and ex-cultists; will her sanity hold or will she end up in the Crazy House? Or even worse... will she survive?


**I found that there was no category for it... so I e-mailed the staff and got them to put up an Irrafutable Truth About Demons section. I'm glad to say that I'm writing the first fanfiction. ...I've never found any. D:

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001

Gracie Evans, an American exchange student at the University, was nothing special until one particularly dark, Friday night. After a long day of extensive studying for a test, she settled into the armchair of her apartment's living room, dressed down to her flannel pajamas and slippers. She sighed and almost melted into the velvet material, leaning her head back. A few minutes of silence passed before she reached over the arm to grab the remote, having the urge to turn on the television. The screen flashed on just as the weather part of the news was ending. A news bulletin came on, a video playing without sound behind the speaker.

"Hours ago today, Dr. Harry Ballard, a famous anthropology professor and cult critic, escaped from a mental ward," the video changed to show a mug shot of a man with bruises on his grinning face. "He was accompanied by a woman identified as Benny, thought to have been an accomplice in the murder of La Valliant, just a few years ago," The video changed, again, to show the face of a pretty woman and a bald and sinister man. "Police are searching for them now and advise everyone to lock their doors and be careful; these two are a danger to everyone and themselves."

"Escaped?" Gracie muttered, switching off the TV, "A danger? But he was so brilliant." A frown creased her face, striking blue eyes narrowing at the floor. She dropped the remote, allowing it to clatter on the table, and got out of her chair.

The cool glass of her window felt relaxing on her face; she stood and looked over the street with her flesh pressed to the window. Rain poured down on the few that walked on the sidewalk and obscured her reflection into someone she did not recognize. Her smooth, blonde was the same and her dark green eyes were as sparkly as ever, but something in her gut made her look away. Sure, she was a pretty thing, yet thin and fragile looking.

With a yawn, she trudged over to her bedroom, nudging the door open with her foot. She patted her open lips and arched her back to stretch, loud and drawn out yawns coming out. She scratched her stomach a little, despite how unladylike it was, and pushed the covers off her nice, comfortable bed. The comforter and sheets rustled like music to her ears as she slipped under them and leaned back on her comfortable pillow, sighing gladly at the soft mattress on her back.

"So tired…" she mumbled, rolling onto her side to face the lamp. Below the light was a picture frame. Instead of the cliché family portrait in the golden frame, she had a couple newspaper clippings from her years in America. Letting her eyes linger on the bold titles, she reached up and pulled the dainty chain of her lamp, shutting herself off in the darkness. More rustling and she rolled over, pulling the blankets up to her chin; the room was chilly despite the heat being on. Gracie fell asleep listening to the heat jangle out of the vents.

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"_Wake up, dear." The room remained dark despite the streetlamps outside the balcony doors. Rain crashed against the window with a threatening storm, a deep rumbling in the distance. Gracie's eyes fluttered under her lids with REM, her lips tight and teeth clenched. She tossed her head to the side and moaned in pain._

"_Gracie," A shadow brushed its fingers across her cheek, down her neck, and over her breast before settling in the center of her chest, which rose and fell with rapid breaths. The shadow hand twitched before pressing down, slipping past the cloth of her shirt, past the soft flesh, and through the hard bone protecting her insides. She convulsed, eyes shooting open. She screamed and tossed her head back, but the arm never moved._

"_You will find them, my dear, and stay with them." Gracie continued to thrash wildly begging for the burning to stop and the pain to subside. Finally, the shadow exited her body. Lightning exploded with a grand explosion, filling the room with a blinding light. Great wings of black reflected on the walls, fading with the shaded figure as the light drained away as if to follow it._

**I know it was short... but please review so I can improve and be inspired to write more of this story. I have a lot planned... and I can't wait to get to it. :D - Samu [February 19. 2010]**


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